12 THE AUD UES OnN as te eee 
since the Christmas Counts occur during a period when most migration 
has been completed, a similar count period would have to be established 
during the summer month (probably June), not during the migration 
period. If observers were free to select the day of their choice for the 
Spring Bird Count, comparable results would not be possible due to 
different weather conditions from one day to the next and to the move- 
ment of the migratory species. In order to compare data collected for 
all species throughout the state, the count must be done on the same 
day by all observers. 
Another comment, primarily from observers in northern Illinois, was 
that the fifth of May seemed too early to make the count and that next 
year it 1s scheduled still earlier. Part of the problem this year was that 
spring migration for many songbirds, especially the warblers, vireos and 
flycatchers, was from ten days to two weeks late; however, most of the 
species were already present in northern Illinois, but not in such large 
numbers as seen a few days later. In addition, the northern Illinois 
counties generally found more species than the southern counties: Cook, 
157; Will, 147; and McLean, LaSalle, bake, Kanes) Wichienryaess 
Vermilion all with over 120 species. Therefore, the count wasn’t really 
too early. 
Next year, the count is scheduled for the fourth of May—the 
earliest possible that it will ever be held. Upon consultation with directors 
of Illinois Audubon Society, the count day will not be changed and will 
always be the Saturday which falls during the period of May 4 to 10. 
At this time, I wish to thank everyone who helped make the second 
count successful, especially the compilers who took the time to organize 
their counties and submit the results. We look forward to your help again 
in 1974 and hope that it will be even better than this year. 
Illinois Aims Legal Guns to Save Duck Grounds 
Illinois is joining Minnesota and Iowa in backing up the Arkansas suit as 
“friends of the court,” as the Cache River—Bayou deView ditching and 
channelization project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers becomes a 
Mississippi Flyway matter. Recognized is the threat to the migrating mal- 
lards of the flyway. The Stuttgart area in question, long famous as winter- 
ing grounds for more than 11% million mallards annually—half the mallards 
that use the flyway, it is estimated—is focal point of the Corps project 
which would ditch and drain 232 miles of the Cache River and flooded 
timber backwaters. 
In swinging Illinois’ legal resources behind the opposition, Conserva- 
tion Director Anthony T. Dean said: “I am requesting the Attorney Gen- 
eral to intervene in federal action to save the Illinois migratory waterfowl 
resource. I have conferred with Gov. Dan Walker, and he has asked me to 
use all legal means possible to protect the Illinois waterfowl resource. The 
project would be disastrous to the huge flights of mallards which annually 
pass through Illinois.” 
